What makes the "Late Hour Studio" different from other studios?
The Late Hour Studio is more than just a recording studio. We work closely with our artists, which is the only way to maximize their potential. Before the actual production begins, we analyze song sketches or write new tracks from scratch together with the musicians. We are very intensively involved in the composition process, especially at the beginning of a collaboration. Coaching is also an essential part of our work. Our aim is for the artists to improve from production to production, be it in terms of composition or on their instrument/vocals. We always start by working on the music and only then on the sound.
When and why did you decide to become a label in addition to your production work?
We realized that many artists didn't know what to do with the finished production. Selling CDs at concerts was the classic and, for many musicians, the only way to distribute music. But often it was just ignorance. We therefore set ourselves the task of acquiring this knowledge and offering a platform to regional acts in particular. It took a while, but we are now in a good position and you can say that "Late Hour Music" is one of the strongest labels in Salzburg and has already made a name for itself in the German-speaking world.
There are numerous well-known artists in your studio. How does A&R work at Late Hour Music?
Before we even start a production, there is always something like a personal meeting in which we explain our working methods to the artists and also ask the musicians about their goals. I think that's very important. It's perfectly legitimate to say I want to record music, release it but not play concerts or pursue music as more than just a hobby. In this case, too, we are happy to record it, but the label will not cooperate with us. As long as the artist is not one hundred percent motivated, it makes no sense. In addition, we don't actually record anything on our label if it wasn't produced by us. This enables us to look after the artists properly and to have artistic access to the musicians in addition to the bureaucracy. This is very important to us and is what sets us apart. Successes such as Dame, The Makemakes, Please Madame or C-Black confirm our approach. We are always on the lookout for motivated artists!
What role does social media play in the marketing of music?
A very big role! Without social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and what they are all called, it would probably be very difficult for an indie label like us to achieve such a reach with a manageable budget. A good presence on Facebook, high-quality music videos on YouTube and regular photo posts on Instagram are simply a must these days. A good song is still the most important thing, but unfortunately it is often no longer enough to keep up with the competition. Social media platforms simply make it easier for us to reach people for our acts and their music.
Find out more about Late Hour Music: